Shelf bracket



Aug. 9, 1966 D. E. wooLL-:VER 3265,456

SHELF BRACKET Filed March 1, 1985 United States Patent O 3,265,456 SHELF BRACKET Dwight E. Woolever, 3671 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, Caiif. 90007 Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 437,347 Claims. (Cl. 312-350) This invention r-elates to a bracket structure for shelves, more particularly the shelves of a medicine cabinet.

An object of the present invention is to provide a shelf bracket structure that provides a non-displaceable interlock between the shelf and the support brackets for the end thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure, as above characterized, in which the shelf, while otherwise loose, forms a means that holds the brackets in operative position on the opposite walls of a cabinet.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The above objects are realized in a structure that, for each shelf, provides a pair of horizontally aligned, inwardly formed embossments on each cabinet wall, said embossments having entry openings on the side toward the back wall of the cabinet. A bracket is engaged with the embossments on each side wall and is provided with a pair o-f downwardly bent tabs that have forwardly directed fingers which are bent out of the plane of said tabs at a slight angle so the same may be inserted into said embossment openings by applying said brackets with the tabs thereof against the respective side walls of the cabinet and rearward of the embossments, and then sliding the brackets forwardly so the tab fingers enter the embossment openings. The forward ends of the support parts of the brackets are each provided with an upbent wall. A shelf is placed with its opposite ends on the support parts of the brackets with its rear edge against or adjacent the rear wall of the cabinet and its front edge just rearward of the upbent walls of the brackets. The shelf now constitutes a means that prevents displacement or retraction of the brackets toward the rear cabinet wall and is safely and surely supported. Removal of the shelf so the brackets may be shifted to a higher or lower position is simply etfected by lifting and removing the shelf, and sliding the brackets rearwardly to free the tab tongues from the embossments. If desired, each finger may 'be provided with a teat for snap-retention engagement with an edge in the side cabinet wall from which the embossment is sheared.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction vand 'novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and 'the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

FIG. 1 is a perspective. view of a corner of a medicine cabinet showing the present shelf bracket.

FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view taken on the plane of top surface of said bracket.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, as seen from the right, of the upper portion of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a broken side view of the bracket.

The -medicine cabinet that is shown is exemplary of any front-open housing. The drawing shows but a lower corner of the cabinet with one of the side cabinet walls 5, the rear wall 6 and 'the bottom 7. It will be clear that the side walls 5 are each provided with a shelf assembly 8, that such 'assemblies are arranged in horiice zontal alignment, one above the other, according to the number of shelves that are to be provided, and that a shelf 9, preferably of a transparent material, is supported by said aligned assemblies.

Each assembly 8 comprises, generally, two horizontally aligned sockets 10, and a bracket B connected to said sockets.

Each socket 9 is formed by .a generally rectangular embossment 11 that, by a shear edge 12, is separated from the wall 5 and displaced in an inward direction. The shear edges 12 are in the Wall 5 and at the rear of the embossments, rearwardly directed openings 13 being formed due to the offset between said wall 5 and the embossments 11. It will be clear that said openings 13 are not visible from the front. Therefore, embossments that are not being used to mount brackets are quite unobtrusive.

Each bracket B comprises a support plate 14 which, at its forward end is provided with an upbent wall 15. At one edge 14a of plate 14 are provided two longitudinally spaced downbent tabs 16 that are spaced apart the same as are the embossments 11 and openings 13. Each said tab is provided with a finger 17 that extends forwardly and is outbent at a slight angle, as in FIG. 2. The width of each tab, together with the finger thereof is at least equal and, preferably, slightly larger than the distance between cabinet wall 6 and the opening 13 of the adjacent embossment 11. Also the rear edge of the rear tab 16 coincides with the rear edge of the support plate 14.

The bracket B is readily applied placing both tabs 16 and their tongues 17 against the inner face of side wall 5 with the rear tab and finger in the space between the rear wall 6 and the rear opening 13. Now, by sliding the bracket in a forward direction, the tongues 17 first enter said openings, then the spaces defined by the embossments. Due to the outbent angle of the fingers 17, the same easily lead into the embossment spaces, wedging against the edges 13 and drawing the mentioned plate edge 14a tightly -against the cabinet wall 5. When the edges 18 abut the embossments 11, the bracket is in place. If desired, each finger 17, at the bend therein, is provided with a teat 19 that slides over and is caught in front of the shear edge 12, providing snap-retention of the bracket.

The bracket is kept against accidental removal by the shelf 9 which has an end 20 thereof supported on the plate 14 with the rear edge 21 at the wall 6 and the front edge 22 behind the upbent wall 15. Only by lifting said front edge above said wall can the shelf be removed. While in place, the bracket 11 retains its described support position.

It will be understood that the opposite end of the shelf is supported in the same manner by a bracket of the opposite hand.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A shelf assembly on the side wall of a cabinet having a back wall, and comprising:

(a) two horizontally aligned sockets formed by em- `bossments in said side wall vand each having an opening directed toward the rear wall,

`b) a bracket provided with a support plate with an upbent wall on the forward end of said plate,

(c) two downbent tabs on an edge of said bracket plate provided with forwardly directed fingers, said fingers extending through said openings behind the embossments, and

(d) a shelf having an end resting upon said support plate with one edge adjacent the rear wall of the cabinet and the other adjacent the upbent wall on the forward end of said support plate,

(e) said shelf keeping the bracket against rearward retraction.

2. A shelf assembly according to claim 1 in which the fingers are bent at an angle from the plane of the tabs to have wedging engagement with opening-defining edges of the ernbossments.

3. A shelf assembly according to claim 1 including detent means on each finger for snap-retention engagement with the side wall of the cabinet.

4. A shelf assembly according to claim 3 and 'further including detent means on each fing-er for snap-retention engagernent with the side wall of the cabinet.

5. In a cabinet having a side wall and a normal back Wall,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,958,686 5/1934 Vanderhoof 312-350 2,686,704 8/1954 Wolters 312-350 X 2,906,487 9/1959 Simon 248-248 FOREIGN PATENTS 910,103 11/1962 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

5. IN A CABINET HAVING A SIDE WALL AND A NORMAL BACK WALL, (A) TWO HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED SOCKETS, (B) A SHELF BRACKET HAVING A SLIDING CONNECTION WITH SAID SOCKETS WITH PORTIONS EXTENDING FORWARDLY INTO SAID SOCKETS, 